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A University of California, Los Angeles professor is the winner of a $250,000 computing prize for his work in artificial intelligence.

Judea Pearl was named winner of the 2011 A.M. Turing Award on Thursday, one of the most prestigious honors in computing.

Pearl, 75, contributed to the field of artificial intelligence by developing mathematical formulas that factor in uncertainty. That allows computers to find connections between millions of pieces of data, even when the information is incomplete or vague. His work has made it possible for computers to think more like humans today, as humans often have to make inferences in decision making.

The award, named after the British mathematician Alan Turing, is given annually by the Association for Computing Machinery. Intel Corp. and Google Inc. provide funding.